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Young pitching guns lead Yanks

Young pitching guns lead Yanks

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By Jordan Bastian
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MLB.com |

YANKEES 7, BLUE JAYS 2at Dunedin, Fla.Thursday, March 20

Yankees at the plate: First baseman Wilson Betemit led New York's offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, single, walk, two runs scored and three RBIs. In the fifth inning, Betemit pulled the first pitch he saw from Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo deep to right field for a two-run homer that put the Yankees ahead, 6-1. Shelley Duncan added a two-run double in the third inning.

Blue Jays at the plate: Toronto struggled to mount much of an offensive attack against Yankees starter Ian Kennedy, who limited the Jays to one run. That lone run came in the third inning, when Aaron Hill doubled and later scored on a groundout by David Eckstein. Hill added an RBI double off reliever Kyle Farnsworth in the sixth.

Yankees on the mound: Kennedy turned in 4 1/3 innings for New York, surrendering just one run on six hits. The right-hander struck out four Blue Jays batters and walked none. Farnsworth allowed one run on two hits with one walk in one inning. Reliever Joba Chamberlain struck out the only three batters he faced in the seventh.

Blue Jays on the mound: With ace Roy Halladay pitching in a Minor League game, the Blue Jays gave right-hander Kane Davis the nod for the start against New York. Davis, who will likely be a starter with Triple-A Syracuse, allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and one strikeout in three innings. Jays pitching prospect Brett Cecil turned in two shutout innings in relief.

Grapefruit League records: Yankees 6-12; Blue Jays 6-12.

Yankees up next: The Yankees are at home under the lights on Friday, meeting the Rays for a 7:15 p.m. ET start at Legends Field. Bidding for a spot in the Yankees' bullpen, Darrell Rasner will make the start for New York, taking the mound after Chien-Ming Wang was scheduled to pitch a Minor League game earlier in the day. The Rays counter with Andy Sonnanstine.

Blue Jays up next: Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch, who is the leading candidate for the fifth spot in Toronto's rotation, is scheduled to make his fifth appearance of the spring on Friday. Litsch will toe the rubber for the Jays at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., where Toronto will take on the Detroit Tigers in a 1:05 p.m. ET tilt. Left-hander Dontrelle Willis is slated to start for the Tigers.

Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.